Wheel



May 9, 1944. H. T. KRAFT ETAL WHEEL Filed Oct. 11, 1941 3E/7EJ f a? 2% 0/0 W vm 1 NZ m mm m flmm F hm Patented May 9, 1944 WHEEL Herman T. Kraft and Joseph Ian Kolopas, Akron, I Ohio, assignors to The General Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 11, 1941, Serial No. 414 658 8 Claims.

This invention relates to wheels, and more pardially projecting flanges 3. Against these flanges ticularly to wheels made in part of metal stamplugs and used in connection with pneumati tires. I

It is an object of the invention to provide a provide increased strength at less cost. More specifically, the invention aimsto provides wheel in which the sheet metal stampings are so assembled and arranged as to provide greater strength with a minimum of parts.

Another object is to provide a generally im-, proved wheel structure of simple design which is economical to make and assemble. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of a suitable embodiment of the invention made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional viewthrough the axis of the wheel showing a fragment of a pneumatictire and tube mounted thereon. The section is taken substantially along the line I--I of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view. partly in section and with parts removed, of the wheel and tire shown in Fig. 1 and on a reduced scale.

The wheel of the present invention is constructed primarily of steel stampings, although,

' of course, other material can be employed and the parts may be made other than by stamping. The several parts may be electrically welded together in accordance with well known practice. Referring to thedrawing by numerals of reference which indicate like parts throughout the flgures, the wheel comprises a hub member I of generally tubular form and which is preferably made by casting. If the wheel is to be used for aircraft the hub I may be formed of a suitable aluminum alloy for lightness, while a heavier metal such as cast steel may be used when lightness is not an essential characteristic. The huh I is suitably formed at its ends to receive bearings 2 of conventional character, n the outside of the hub member adjacent but spaced inwardly from the ends thereof are integral raare disposed circular load carrying disks 4 that are centrally apertured to receive and embrace end portions 5 of the hub. The outermost peripheral portions of the disks! areformed into integral tire bead flanges, each comprising a bead supporting portion 6 and a bead retaining portion I.

Brake drums 8, preferably of cylindrical form according to current practice, and of less diameter than the supporting portions 6 of the tire bead flanges, are disposed within the latter, providing annular separating spaces 9. The spaces 9 insulate the drums from the tire beads and reduce the flow of heat from the brake drums to the tire. The inner ends of the brake drums abut against the supporting disks I and are formed with integral radial inwardly directed circular flanges In that lie flatwise against the disks 4. The inner peripheries of the flanges II are formed with cylindrical portions II that embrace the ends 5 of the hub I and lip portions I2 that overlie the ends of the hub.

The outer ends of the drums 8 are formed with integral radial outwardly directed flanges I5 that are overlapped by, and as indicated at I6,'are interlocked with the outer peripheral edge of the bead retaining portion I .of the tire bead flange.

While, as previously mentioned, the several parts of the wheel'may be secured together by electrical welding, they may be held in assembled relation in addition to the welding or in lieu thereof by bolts H which pass through aligned openings in the flanges 3 at the opposite ends of the hub I and also in the load supporting disks 4 and inturned flanges IU of the drums l.

The tire to be mounted on the wheel of the present invention may be of the usual streamlined type and is indicated at It in the drawing. It is formed with beads I9 that embrace the portions 6 of the bead flange and is inflated by means of an inner tube". Extending between the load supporting disks 4 and abutted against the inside surfaces of the latter is a tubular reinforcing member 2I that is embraced by the inner tube 2| when the latter is inflated. The member 2I, which may be of cylindrical form, is supported on the outer ends of the flanges 3, which prevent radial shifting thereof. The reinforcing tube 2I is of less diameter than the bead supporting portions 8 of the tire bead flange to provide the conventional drop-center construction. Fillets 22, which may be of rubher, are provided at the juncture between the tube Ii and the load supporting disk 4. An opening 28 is provided in the reinforcing tube II to receive a bent inflated stem 24 attached to the inner tube II. This stem projects laterally through one of several openings 2| provided in the disks 4 and inturned flanges ll between the flanges 8 of the hub.

It is to be noted that as an important feature of the present invention the radial outwardly directed flanges II which extend between the outermost ends of the brake drums I and the tirebeadflangesareofconicalformandthereby reinforce the tire beadfflanges to prevent axial displacement thereof when the wheel is subiected to axial thrusts.

. The principles of the present invention may be utilized in various ways, numerous modiflcations and alterations being contemplate, substitution of parts and changes in construction being resorted to as desired, it being understood that the embodiment shown in the drawing and described above is given merely for purposes of explanation and illustration without intending to limit the scope of the claims to the specific details disclosed.

' What we claim is:

l. A wheel comprising a hub and a tire supportingbody provided with a radialloadcarrying disk on one end of the hub having-an integral tire bead flange at its outer periphery, a braking drum having an inturned flange disposed against said 'disk and an integral outtumed flange overlapped with the tire bead flange, and a reinforcing member having connection with the hub and with the disk adjacent the outermost part of the latter.

against said one disk and an out-tumed flange overlapped with the tire bead flange of such disk, and a tubular reinforcing member disposed about I the hub between the disks and "abutted against- -thelatter.

3. A wheel comprising a hub and a tire supporting body provided with a radial load carrying disk secured to one end of the hub and having at its outer periphery an integral tire bead flange, a cylindrical braking drum having at one end a radial inwardly directed flange disposed flatwise against one side of the disk and in circumferential embracing relation to the hub and at the other end an integral radial outwardly directed flange connected at its outerperiphery to the. tire bead flange, and a tubular member abutted against the other side of the disk.

4. A wheel comprising a hub having integral radial flange means at one end and a tire supporting and against the outer face of one of said projections, the outer peripheral margins of each pair of members being connected for mutual suppd't and the intermediate portions of the members between the outer peripheries thereof and the flatwise disposed portions being substantiallyjentirely separated and spaced from one another, and a tubular member disposed about the hub and between said pairs of sheet metal members, said tubular member engaging the radial projections on the hub with each end abuttin: one of the sheet metal members.

8. In a wheel comprising a tire supporting body and a hub having a radial projection. a member constituting a tire head support and a member constituting a brake drum disposed about oneend of the hub and flatwise against one another and against said projection, said members each being formed of a single piece of sheet metal and being connected together at their outer peripheries and substantially entirely separated,

from one another throughout their intermediate portions between said peripheries and said flatwise disposed portions, and a tubular member disposed about the hub and mounted on said radial projection.

7. A wheel comprising a hub having radial projections on the ends thereof, sheet metal disk means disposed against the hub projections and providing tire bead supports, and a tubular member disposed about the hub and mounted on the radial projections of the latter, the ends of said member abutting the disk means and,held thereby against axial shifting.

8. In a wheel of the character described a hub having radial projections adjacent each end, a disk having an inner portion abutting the outer face of each of said projections, each disk having an axially outwardly extending bead seating portion and a bead retaining flange, a tubularv member mounted on said radial projections and 1 bridging the space between said disks, and a body provided witha radial load carrying disk secured to said end of the hub and having a tire bead flange, a braking drum having an inturned brake drum member having an inner portion disposed against the outer face of the inner por-' tion of one of said disks, a drum portion extending axially outwardly beyond the disk flange and spaced radially inwardly from the bead seating portion of the disk and an outerinclined periph eral portion extending from the outer end of the drum portion and joined to the diskflange.

JOSEPH IAN KOZOPAS. 

